Margi Preus doing what she does best - combining Scandinavian folk tales and magic tales with a poignant adventure about acceptance and survival. Armando Veve's illustration add another layer to the story, that brings the characters to life. Really enjoyable and in keeping with Preus' talent for middle grade fiction.

I loved this book, so much so that I purchased it for my store. It is beautifully written and the hero Tag is fabulous. I love the concept of this book it is so interesting and intriguing touching on ideas of wealth and who benefits at the expense of others. An excellent book for younger readers. Highly recommend

A new fairytale is on the scene drawing young readers under its spell! Following the formula of the hero on a quest, Windswept features a collection of very unlikely heroes. Tag (short for Tagalong) witnessed the Wind sweeping up and taking away her older sisters. As more and more children fell victim to the Wind's power, youngsters were kept indoors while living in fear of the outdoors. But Tag was no ordinary youngster and she soon felt compelled to try to find and rescue her sisters.

She makes the acquaintance of a number of orphaned children. Together they brave the elements to embark on what may be the most dangerous mission of their young lives. When the unthinkable happens (you'll have to read to find out), the children are left struggling to find the courage to keep going. With the help of some very unusual adults along the way, they band together. But they continue to hear an ominous message that they may be too late. Will it be worth trying to battle not only the Wind, but also trolls intent on stopping them? You'll have to read it yourself to find out whether they succeed on their quest!

For the most part, the book was truly delightful with young people discovering hidden strengths they didn't know they had, and learning to work together through hardship. There was one passing reference to a story that included same-sex attraction (if reading aloud, that comment could easily be skipped without affecting the story in any way). A more significant thread running through the tale was the opinion that humans have destroyed the planet. Felt a bit preachy and unnatural to harp on that point. I prefer fairy tales that focus more on a life lesson or moral than on political commentary. Aside from that, the tale was creative and heartwarming.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Windswept from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Tag, like all other Youngers, is forced to stay inside the house for fear of the wind sweeping her away, as it has done with her three older sisters, but like children everywhere she is desperate to see and experience what is forbidden. When a mysterious message summons her to a meeting, she finds a way to escape, taking with her a book of fairy tales (banned!) and all the clothing she has knotted together to climb out of the one unboarded window in the attic of her home. Thus she finds herself on a quest with a rag-tag band of other siblings of the windswept, on a quest to find their missing brothers and sisters, brought together by Finn who has invited them because of their special talents, although Tag has no idea what hers could be!
I loved this story for its quirky characters, its ingenious setting where objects that we recognise as belonging to our own times are viewed as artefacts from the past, and the whole fairy tale feel of the adventure Tag and her companions are plunged into. Humour permeates throughout and none of the characters are immune from disaster, as the gradual revealing of the true identity of the narrator's audience brings home. This would be a fantastic book to read aloud.

Enter the world of Windswept, where "youngers" are routinely carried off by the wind, never to be seen again. When Tag's three sisters break the rules about not going Outside and are swept away, Tag's world changes forever. Her father passes away after years of spending his family's savings in an effort to fund search parties to find his missing daughters. Tag's mother falls into depression and sells off the remaining family possessions in order to provide for Tag. Tag herself has been locked in a boarded up home and only knows of the "Outside" through field guides which she studies. But all of this changes when Tag finds a knot hole in one of the boards and is shocked to find an eye looking back at her! A small note passed through the knot hole, sets Tag upon an adventure with some new friends who set out to find their "windswept" siblings. Along the way, they are helped with advice from a banned book of Fairy Tales, some magical beings and their own determination. Adults reading Windswept will easily pick up on the ecological disaster warnings as well as some not so subtle digs at government, greed and prejudice. Will kids reading this adventure tale get the messages as well? Maybe. Pair this with a showing of "Wall-e"